Child online sexual exploitation cases hit record high in Belgium

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Brussels: A record number of children and teenagers fell victim to online sexual exploitation in Belgium last year, according to an annual report released by the foundation Child Focus. The organization documented 837 victims of online exploitation, including severe cases of grooming, sextortion, and non-consensual sexting. This figure marks a dramatic increase, more than doubling the 401 cases registered just three years prior.

Child Focus heavily attributes this unprecedented surge to the expanding access and use of artificial intelligence technology, specifically citing the proliferation of realistic, AI-generated nude images known as ‘deepnudes.’ Investigative metrics show that grooming files alone skyrocketed by 151 percent, with victims averaging 13 years old.

 Meanwhile, sextortion cases where perpetrators use intimate media to blackmail minors for explicit content or financial gain surged by 143 percent. Furthermore, non-consensual sexting reports climbed 30 percent, disproportionately impacting young girls with an average age of 14.

The alarming statistics have prompted emergency calls from child safety advocates for stricter legislative frameworks and enhanced online enforcement protocols. Executive Director Nel Broothaerts emphasized that immediate, systemic intervention is critical to improve digital infrastructure defenses and collectively protect vulnerable minors from escalating transnational cyber threats.